Improvement in grain steamer and drier



st. P. BROOKE. Grain Steamer ,and Drier No. 217,053. Patented July 1,1879.

In aerator fz'fkessea' N. PEIERS, PHOTU-LITNQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE ST. PIERRE BROOKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

. IMPROVEMENT IN GRA IN STEAMER AND DR IER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,053, dated July 1,1879; application filed December 17, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ST. PIERRE BROOKE, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inGrain Steamers and Driers, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

My improvement has one or more inclined shoes containing a steam-chamberfor heating.

A portion of the top, at the upper end,is cov-' on a rotating shaft-Steam and air pipes supplied with cocks or valves connect with thesteam-chambers by means of flexible pipes.

v My improvement consists in the combination of parts above described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sideview, partly in section, at line w as, Fig. l.

A is the frame-work, to which the shoe or shoes B are suspended by links0, so as to admit of reciprocatory motion. This motion is imparted byconnection D with a crank, E,

on rotating shaft F.

The shoe, where there is only one, or the upper shoe, where there aremore than one, has sides I) I), back 1), front b top I) b", and bottom bforming a steam-chamber, B, for the heating of the shoe and for thedampening of the wheat or other grain. The dampening takes place by thesteam that escapes through the perforate portion 1) beneath the hopperG.

The shoe is inclined so as to cause the grain to move from the back 6toward the front 11 from which latter end it is discharged to anysuitable receptacle, if there is a single shoe,

B, or into the upper end of the shoe beneath if there be more thanone.

Each shoe, where there are more than one,

maybe placed beneath another, as shown, and Y in this case each shoewould incline in the opposite direction to the one above it. I

The back b and sides b extend above the top 11 b, so as to prevent theescape of grain at those places.

In all shoes except the top one the top and sides are flaring at theback end to receive the grain without waste from the shoe above.

H is the steam-pipe, having flexible branches I leadingto eachsteam-chamber. Each branch has a valve or cook, i, to regulate thesupply of steam.

J is the escape-pipe for air, steam, and the water of condensation. Thispipe J is in communication with the lower part of the steamchamber byflexible pipes K, supplied with v regulating valves or cocks k.

Only the upper shoe has a perforate portion, N, for the steaming onlytakes place at the beginning of the process, and the rest is devoted toheating the grain and drying off the surface moisture.

The hopper has a slide, G, to regulate the amount of grain passingthrough. the apparatus.

I have shown four shoes all attached together by bars B and all moved bythe same crank E; but it is evident that each might be connected to aseparate crank where there is more than one shoe.

The operation is as follows: The grain is placed or fed continuouslyinto the hopper, and is in contact with the perforate plate or gauze I),where it is dampened and heated by the steam ascending from the chamberB. After being dampened it passes over the top of the shoe or shoes B,superfluous moisture is dried up, and the grain heated.

By means of the supply-cocks t and exhaustcocks k, the heat of the shoescan be nicely regulated, and also the amount of steam escaping throughperforate part b.

L is the discharge-spout to carry the grain from the machine.

I claim as my invention- 1. One or more reciprocating inclinedsteamshoes, B, having steam-chamber B formed by the bottom and upperplates of said shoes, the upper plate of the top shoe being perforatedat its rearmost end and of plate metal at its remaining portion, topermit of the grain being steamed and dried at one operation in itscontinuous journey along said shoe, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the steam-shoes B,

the top one being perforated at its upper end, of the flexible steam andexhaust connections I and K, having valves or cocks i, and escapepipe J,having regulatin g-valves k, substantially as set forth.

ST. PIERRE BROOKE. Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, GEO. H. KNIGHT.

